Ralph Owen | |
---|---|
Born | October 3, 1905
Hartsville, Tennessee, U.S. |
Died | 1983
Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |
Nationality | American |
Occupation | Businessman |
Ralph Owen (1905–1983) was an American businessman. He served as the Chairman of American Express ( NYSE: AXP).
Owen was born on October 3, 1905, in Hartsville, Tennessee. [1] He had two brothers, Robert E. Owen and Roy Owen, and two sisters, Mrs. Mark Lowrey and Mrs. Pat W. Swaney. [1] He graduated from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1928. [1]
In 1930, Owen founded the Equitable Securities Corporation of Nashville, an investment bank offering credit cards, travel and banking services. It merged with American Express in 1968. [1] Later, he served as the Chairman of American Express. [1] [2]
Additionally, Owen served on the board of directors of the Nashville Gas Company, the R. C. Owen Company and Tennessee Natural Gas Lines Inc. [1]
Owen sat on the Board of Trustees of his alma mater, Vanderbilt University, and later as the President of its Board of Trust. [1] [3] The Owen Graduate School of Management was renamed in his honor in 1977. [4] Additionally, the Ralph Owen Chair is also named in his honor; it is currently by Professor Eric Johnson, Dean of the Owen Graduate School of Management. [5]
Owen was married to Lulu Hampton. [1] They had a son, Ralph Owen Jr., and a daughter, Melinda Bass. [1] They resided at Brook Hill in Nashville, Tennessee. [1] [6]
Owen died at the Vanderbilt University Hospital in 1983. [1]